The Intrigue GL Reviewed

In the outside rear-view mirror, you can see the swell of the Intrigue's rear fender behind you. It looks sleek and catlike, as if it has been stretched over a layer of smooth muscle, and it seems to promise you that a real driver's car lies beneath it.

Over twisting canyon roads in Southern California, this sedan shows more determination than a Nissan Maxima SE. It has the quiet, effortless composure of a Toyota Camry on city streets. And it has the style and physical presence of a Dodge Intrepid.

Like Good Japanese cars, the Intrigue has a feel of soft but substantial luxury. And like good European cars, it is rigorously correct in the placement of its minor and major controls.

GM's formula for good handling customarily relies on the combination of a stiff chassis, wide tires, and an obsession with linear control feel, yet the Intrigue goes a step beyond this strategy.

The result is a really composed, sure-footed sedan. We found ourselves leaning on this Oldsmobile in the corners as if it were a BMW or Mercedes-Benz, and it outperformed the Camry and Maxima that Oldsmobile had on hand for evaluation. When you add in standard ABS and traction control, the Intrigue is indeed more like a European car than a generic, midsize sedan.

Ken Stewart, the Intrigue's brand manager, makes much of this automobile's "one great car" philosophy, in which mechanical variations and trim levels are minimized in favor of doing the job correctly. The only value judgment to be made is whether you prefer the excellent ride of the car's standard S-rated tires or want the crisper steering feel of upgraded H-rated tires in the autobahn package (which come with larger-diameter front brake rotors, plus an engine management tweak that improves top speed to 126 mph from 108 mph).

- Automobile Magazine
-   by Michael Jordan